Wednesday the Fifth Week of Easter

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
John 15:1-8

Prayer

Dear Father you are the heavenly gardener and in you I find my branches pruned. I trust in you to remove all that does not belong to you. Just as I prune a plant of dead parts, so do you with us. In order for us to grow for the kingdom we must be taken care of. I see your loving hand cleaning away and preparing us so we may be more fruitful. Dear Father may we glorify you for your constant care and love. Without you we would not be anything at all. You truly are the vine and we are the branches, should we lose sight of you then we cause our own death. For from you we draw life. Amen